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I would like to know how could I say something like "Make yourself at home, but remember you aren't" in Latin. It is a quirky thing a Brazilian friend says a lot (I've translated it to English) and I'm figuring out a way to incorporate it into a housewarming gift.

I figured out something like "Domi te facere, sed memento non es", with the second verb in the imperative, but I'm not so sure it works. Maybe it needs an object: "sed memento domum tuam non est"? I'm just beginning to learn Latin and would really appreciate your help!

Thank you!

Edit: In the original (Portuguese): "Sinta-se em casa, mas lembre-se que não está". It is used to extend one's hospitality to a visitor, who should feel at home, but remember that in fact it is the host's house and, therefore, certain behaviors should not be displayed.

Lucius
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  • Welcome to Latin.SE! Could you also provide the original Portuguese and a bit more context, for a better translation? – Rafael Oct 17 '21 at 10:47
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    Thank you, @Rafael! I have included the original and a brief explanation. – Lucius Oct 17 '21 at 20:06

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I honestly do not know an idiomatic Latin equivalent for "make yourself at home" or "feel at home," but I think you could say: Te habeas quasi domi tuae sis -- "be disposed as if you were at your own home."

(Now of course domus is pretty straightforward for home/house, but I also have to point out my old answer to this question, suggesting lar for "home," which was particularly popular with Portuguese speakers. So you could also say: ... quasi apud larem tuum sis.)

For the second part, memento is fine, but note that the verb meminisse (like verbs of thinking, feeling, perceiving mostly do) takes an accusative + infinitive to express the content.

To sum up, I would suggest:

Te habeas quasi domi tuae sis, sed memento ibi te vero non esse.

Sebastian Koppehel
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